Deputy Prime Minister Gowin established medical studies at the University of Opole

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Science and Higher Education Jarosław Gowin signed on August 10 in Opole a decision on granting the permission to open Medical Studies at the University of Opole (UO). Future doctors will begin learning there in October 2017.

The University of Opole will offer uniform masters in cooperation with the Public Higher Medical Professional School in Opole. During ceremony, the rectors of the two schools Prof. Stanisław Sławomir Nicieja and Dr. Tomasz Halski signed a letter of intent on combining the potential of their institutions.

Deputy Prime Minister considered this consolidation to be crucial for the efforts to launch Medical Studies in Opole. The University of Opole "is probably the fastest growing university among the new universities established after 1989, and the Public Higher Medical Professional School is one of the best vocational schools in Poland (...). I can not imagine the situation in which two schools with almost the same address compete for students, build expensive, competitive laboratories, open the same studies. Here, you have to join efforts" - said Gowin.

The success of the Opole university - he said - is also the result of cooperation between the scientific community and the local and regional authorities. "It is clear that the creation of this course is regarded by the whole community of Opole and the Opole region as a great development opportunity" - he noted.

The request of the University of Opole for the establishment of Medical Studies received positive opinions from the Ministry of Health and the Polish Accreditation Committee. This included meeting the requirements concerning a sufficient number of academic staff and professors.

In this context, Gowin described the application prepared by the Opole university as a model. "The application must be prepared perfectly, perfect staff must be ensured, excellent clinical facilities must be guaranteed and I must say that in this respect the application of the University of Opole was indeed flawless" - he said.

In his opinion, in the future the new Medical Studies at the University of Opole may become one of the best in Poland.

The minister also assured that the colleges will have organizational and financial support from the ministry. It will, however, depend on the course of cooperation. "The greater the cooperation between the two colleges, the greater will be the ministry support, and I can certainly declare that this support will be counted not in millions, but tens of millions" - he said.

Mayor of Opole Arkadiusz Wisniewski also offered financial support. "As the city authorities, we consider the development of the academic community in Opole a priority" - he said.

Thanking scientists and politicians for their involvement, UO rector stressed the importance of this decision for the university. "Here we have a truly historical event for the university. Now the university is complete" - said Prof. Nicieja.

Medical Studies will open in the academic year 2017/2018 at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology. 60 students will begin studying there in October 2017.

The main clinical facilities for the university will be provided by the Regional Medical Centre in Opole, which in the future will become a university hospital. According to the Opole local government release, transformation is planned after the first cycle of education in the academic year 2022/2023.

Classes will be taught in the Medical College in one of the university buildings, which requires modernization, expansion and retrofitting. The cost of this investment is estimated at over 41 million zlotys.

President of the City Council of Opole Marcin Ociepa said that financial negotiations with the ministry should be concluded within a month. "As soon as we have financial guarantees, the university will begin financial procedures related to tenders for the renovation, and we will have to sign contracts with the staff and order equipment" - he said.

Ociepa added that ultimately - in a few years perspective - the University of Opole could start a medical school. "It is possible, which is why it is so important to work with the Public Higher Medical Professional School, because it has courses related to medicine, such as nursing and midwifery" - he said.

University of Opole was founded in 1994. Currently, students of the university receive education at eight faculties. (PAP)